What is a Design Showcase?

Posted By:AllisonPublished:11/22/2017Times Read:167Comments:0

Beyond the exciting slew of talented designers and generous sponsors, beneath the dazzle of it all, what was the inaugural Luxury Design Showcase really about? Why transform a sprawling Arcadia home into a visual extravaganza of all the best in design that Arizona has to offer? It was not just an excuse to spend a day in a lavish house in one of the most desirable neighborhoods in Phoenix, although the draw of that is not to be discounted. “The Luxury Design Showcase explores the unique beauty and charm of luxury living in Arcadia,” said Lara Broadrick, Sales Professional with The Team/Russ Lyon Sotheby's International Realty and event co-host. More importantly, however, it offered the chance to both experience and support the variety of art forms that Arizona professionals are excelling in every single day.

With a thriving arts community and a growing tourism industry, Phoenix is quickly becoming a new increasingly desirable destination city. First Fridays, exhibits at the Phoenix Art Museum, shows at Gammage and the Herberger, new music venues like the Van Buren—all of this combines to paint a portrait of our Valley of the Sun as a vibrant center of innovation and creativity. Of course, Arizona also has a long-standing association with design and architecture, and these communities are also experiencing a thrilling rise in activity. The annual and prestigious Awards Gala for the Northern Arizona chapter of ASID, for instance, grows in attendance with each passing year, not to mention Phoenix Home & Garden Magazine’s Masters of the Southwest Awards night, and the newest contest for accolades, the upcoming debut of the RED Awards from Luxe Magazine.

This burgeoning cultural renaissance did not spring up out of nothing, however. The success of the arts is dependent upon a corresponding support base, both through financial contributions and promotional efforts. At the Luxury Design Showcase we assembled a variety of creative professionals in the hopes of endorsing all the ways in which the Arizona community is coming into its own. The Showcase featured Design Trend Talks throughout the day; speakers such as Laura Eagen from Estrella Cabinetry, Michael Levenberg of Buffalo Collection, Sheri Briles with Hinkley’s Lighting, and Randy Mungo of WI Pliance all highlighted exciting new areas of growth in the design world. The Showhouse’s walls were also graced with the stunning contributions of prestigious galleries such as Desert Mountain Fine Art and Bonner David Galleries, as well as works by independent artists, Lori Landis and Ross Holzman.

More than all of this, however, a portion of our proceeds from ticket and art sales, as well as donations made throughout the eventwent to the benefit of Free Arts for Abused Children of Arizona, a charity whose mission is to extend accessibility to an arts education to children from all walks of life and give them a positive, constructive, creative outlet. Susan Solliday, Chair of the Showcase and LuxePros Principal, said, “[The house is] such an exciting canvas to celebrate the debut of the bi-annualShowcase. The beautiful floor plan is the perfect palette for this year’s designers. We look forward to a successful event to raise needed funds for Free Arts.” Artwork created by children in the Free Arts programs was also featured throughout the house.

The Luxury Designer Showcase is a collaboration, above all else—it is about artists, professionals, and sponsors all bringing valuable skills, resources, or knowledge to the table to create something unforgettable. We could not have accomplished any of it without the support of ticket sales, so we were pleased to offer raffle drawings for luxury items and gifts for our attendees in return. Many thanks to everyone who joined us on November 21st and 26th—together with our designers and sponsors you helped us transform one Arcadia house into the ultimate luxury home experience.

Missed out on this event, look for the next Luxury Design Showcase home in the Spring of 2018.